Continuous ore-pulp and slime extractor



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. F. AYTON. CONTINUOUS ORE PULP AND SLIME EXTRAGTOR.

Patented Dec. 31, 1895.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. P. AYT ON. CONTINUOUS ORE P ULP AND SLIME EXTRAUTOR. No. 552,092. Patented 1390.31, 1895.

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ANDREW B GRAHAM. FHOTO-LH'HQWASNINGTOMDC UNITED STATES I PATENT OF ICE.

ERNEST r. AYTON, OF ZAOATEGAS, MEXICO.

CONTINUOUS ORE-PULP AND SLIME EXTRACTOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 552,092, dated December 31, 1895.

Application filed December 7,1894. Serial No. 531,149. (No model.)

To all whom it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST F. AYTON, a citizen of Great Britain, residing at Zacatecas, in the county of Zacatecas and State of Zaca tecas, Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Continuous Ore-Pulp and Slime Extractors; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the preparation of an ore pulp of thicker and better consistency by extracting from settling-boxes the pulped ore With'the minimum amount of moisture. I thus render the pulp in a more favorable condition for its further treatment by the various systems of amalgamation, separation, classification or concentration.

The apparatus employed for the concentration and amalgamation of ores is limited in its capacity and effective result rather by the total volume of material treated than by the actual amount of ore contained in such volume.

Where ores are to be crushed fine the operation can only be economically carried-on in the presence of a liberal flow of water, which adds greatly to and, indeed, forms much the principal part of the volume of material subsequently to be treated. The simplest mode of reducing this volume and separating the ore from the excess of water is by settling in tanks; but such process is not only tedious and expensive but also involves freedom from agitation and the entire interruption of the flow of the crushed material. Settling-boxes (Spitzkasten) have been used with some success in hastening the process of separation, and a large proportion of the excess of water has been removed in a clear condition with comparative rapidity when the process has essarily reduced aperture without frequently blocking the small discharge-opening with consequent paralysis of the entire operation.

By acknowledging the impossibility of overcoming the blocking of the discharge-opening by any continuous motion I have been led to the present improvement, the object of which is to maintain the necessary freedom of such discharge-opening, and which comprises a means for intermittently and mo 'mentarily opening and closing the pulp-discharge orifice.

If the discharge-orifice for the collected and thick pulp be left open except for a very short or momentary interval the volume of water above the settled pulp will quickly find its way down to the opening and destroy the object in View. Only by the rapid and momentary opening and closing of the controllingvalve of said orifice, which allows the discharge of a portion of the settled pulp before the watering-volume of unsettled pulp resting above it has time to reach the outlet, can this object be attained. In order to make my invention more clearly understood I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying it into practical effect, without limiting my improvements, in their useful applications, to the particular construction which, for the sake of illustration, I have delineated.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of a portion of a settling-tank provided with a mechanism embodying my invention and shown in side elevation for intermittently opening and closing the pulp-discharge orifice. Fig. 2 is an end view of such mechanism. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing another mode of applying the spring to the valve-lever.

In the construction illustrated the valve for opening and closing the pulp-orifice as aforesaid is arranged to move directly from and toward the orifice so that on its outward movement it adds to the liquid-pressure a certain sucking force, thereby insuring the outward movement and discharge of the pulp. The operating means for such valve is illustrated as a lever connected with the valve and rotary cam or tappet for oscillating the lever; but it is evident that various equivalent devices may be substituted for those above referred to without departing from my invention.

Referring to the drawings, S indicates a settling-box, preferably hopper-shaped or V- shaped, as illustrated, of which only a portion is shown in the drawings, and which will be provided at suitable points with means for supplying the mixed ore pulp and water to be separated and for drawing off the top stratum of clear water.

s is the discharge-pipe for the thick pulp or slime, which may be controlled by a cock, gate-valve, shutter, or other suitable contrivance placed inside or outsidethe settling-box or chamber to regulate size or area of pulpdelivery orifice in order to control the quantity of pulp passing through such orifice-such, for instance, as the cock 0. The outer end of the said pipe is preferably formed with a flange f, faced with a rubber or other washer or packing annulus r.

V is a valve carried by a lever L, which is pivotally mounted at P on a bracket T secured to the box S or to any fixed support. Said valve carries a packing-disk c of suitable material. A spring is applied to the lever to keep the valve V in its closed position. This is conveniently effected by a thick rubber annulus I, held on a rod A between two disks a a. (See Fig. 3.) The former is fixed on the rod, while the latter is loose on the rod and bears against the outer side of the lever by a knife-edge K, so that it may oscillate slightly. The rodpasses through the lever L and a lug If on the bracket T, and is provided with a loose disk a which bears on the lug by a knife-edge K. Screwed upon the outer end of the rod is a nut N, by which the tension of the spring may be regulated in an obvious manner.

D is a disk mounted in suitable bearings in the bracket T, and carrying a tappet, preferably in the iform of a roller Q, on a bolt B. The latter may be adjusted to the desired distance from the center of the disk D in a slot or slots d and there clamped by a nut 19. A plurality of such tappets may be carried by the wheel, if desired. The tappet actuates the lever L through the medium of a bearingblock L, by making which latter adjustable on the lever the throw of the lever and degree and duration of the opening of the valve V may be regulated. This adjustment is effected by fitting the block L to slide on the lever, whereon it may be rigidly clamped by a screw Z, and by engaging it by the thread of a screw Z, which is mounted in the lever L parallel therewith.

The disk D is rotated by a pulley Y on its shaft, driven by a belt Y from any convenient motor. The frequency of the opening and closing of the aperture 3 may be varied according to the quantity, class or fluidity of the pulp to be treated, and consequent speed to which the pulley Y is adjusted. I have used with success from ten to sixty operations of the valve V per minute. It will thus be observed that, the pulp-escape aperture being intermittently closed, it may be of a much larger area than if constantly open.

I claim 1. The combination of asettlingbox having a pulp delivery orifice, a valve for the same and mechanism connected with the valve for intermittently reciprocating the valve toward and from the orifice, whereby the pulp is withdrawn in the manner stated.

2. In a pulp or slime extractor the combination of a settling boX or chamber having a pulp delivery orifice, a valve for the same and a continuously rotarymechanism connected with the valve for reciprocating the latter toward and from said orifice, substantially as set forth.

3. In a pulp or slime extractor the combination of a settling box or chamber having a pulp-delivery orifice, a valve for the same, a lever carrying the valve, and a continuously rotary mechanism for actuating the lever with the valve toward and from the orifice, substantially as set forth.

4. In a pulp or slime extractor the combination of a settling box or chamber having a pulp delivery orifice, a valve for the same, a lever carrying the Valve, a spring pressing the lever in one direction, a projection longitudinally adjustable on the lever, a continuously rotary disk, and a tappet on the latter for engaging said projection, substantially as set forth.

5. In a pulp or slime extractor, the combination of a settling box or chamber having a pulp-delivery orifice, a valve closing said orifice, a lever carrying the valve, a spring for pressing the lever in one direction, a continuously rotary disk having tangential grooves, and tappets adjustable in the grooves and adapted to actuate the lever, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the box S, the valve V, the lever L, provided with a spring controlling said lever, and a continuously rotary disk and tappet for moving the lever against the pressure of said spring, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST F. AYTON. 'Witnesses:

JULIUs MoUREAU, J. N. F. WISMAN. 

